This is a short video about developing a recovery plan which is part of our risk management
series of videos.
While incident response is concerned with events as they unfold developing a recovery
plan is about getting your business back on its feet in the shortest amount of time.
Its vital you take recovery planning seriously.
It is not a task that can be left until you find enough time to deal with it.
As with all of your plans the more work done during the planning process the better your
business's chance of recovery.
The planning process gets everyone thinking about the needs of the business during a critical
event and puts people in the right mindset for preparing for the unexpected.
Your recovery strategies should demonstrate a clear understanding of your business's recovery
objectives and reflect what the business needs to do to continue.
Prioritise critical business functions and record a recovery time for each.
This process will highlight the actions you should list in your recovery plan.
You should also establish a recovery team assign backups and make sure all team members
are aware of their roles and functions in the recovery process.
You should establish a disaster recovery location where employees may work off-site when necessary
and can access critical back-up systems records and supplies.
This may be a room or space at another business location or at a hotel or home.
You should determine which assets including documents are essential for recovery and therefore
require protection.
Make sure essential documentation is safely stored off-site or in fireproof cabinets.
Make sure you have contact lists for all people who may be affected by the incident including
staff key customers and suppliers and your insurance company.
You may need to let your customers and suppliers know of alternative methods of contacting
you or placing orders and what to expect from your business in the event of a lengthy outage.
As part of your incident response plan you should have developed an emergency kit that
includes key documents that'll be essential for recovery.
Make sure the emergency kit is stored safely off-site in case your premises are unreachable
in a crisis.
Develop relationships with more than one supplier so if one is affected by an incident your
business can continue as usual.
Be prepared for the possibility of broken or damaged equipment machinery and systems.
Know who can fix them and have their contact details at hand.
Consider renting or borrowing equipment if possible.
Plan for disruptions to electricity gas water sewerage and telecommunication systems.
Are backup systems available?
and are there alternatives that can be used?
Be prepared for cashflow emergencies.
Keep enough cash on hand to handle immediate needs and consider setting up internet banking
services.
Consider doing business online as this may allow you to operate even if your premises
are damaged.
Once the incident is over you'll need to take a number of steps.
As part of your recovery plan you could develop a checklist to use as you assess the extent
of damage and monitor the recovery process.
Consider the following steps when developing your checklist:
First.
Assess the extent of the damage caused during the crisis.
Record injury to any people including staff clients and other members of the public.
Damage to buildings, equipment, company vehicles and stock.
Record impacts on your business functions or any damage to your reputation.
Second.
Conduct a critical incident debrief.
Within 48 hours but preferably within 24 hours of a critical incident hold a meeting to debrief
employees.
The purpose of the critical incident debriefing is to help employees understand some of the
reactions they may have by encouraging employees to gain support from each other and by allowing
them an opportunity to verbalise their thoughts and feelings.
The third step is to keep staff informed throughout the recovery process.
They may be concerned about colleagues who may be injured; what is expected of them;
whether they should turn up for work the next day or whether they will still have a job.
The fourth step is to look into the possibility of applying for government support programs
to assist the recovery of your business.
Now each crisis provides an opportunity for learning to occur and for plans to be revised.
The final step is to record what you've learnt update your plan and conduct a critical incident
review after every incident.
The questions you should ask include What went well and what didn't?
What key lessons were learned?
What changes do we need to make to our business processes?
Do not forget the human aspect of crisis recovery.
Keep a watchful eye on personnel after a critical incident.
Allow employees to discuss their feelings that have come up since the critical incident
debriefing and monitor their progress.
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